Warp stop-motion for looms.



N0. 640,|.54. Patented D86. 26, I899.

- W. E. ALLEN.

WARP STOP MOTION FOR LOOMS.

(Application filed June 27, 1899.)

(No Model.)

UNTTED STATES PATENT FFICE.

WILLIAM E. ALLEN, OF SALEM, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOR TO THE DRAPER COMPANY, OF PORTLAND, MAINE, AND HOPEDALE, MASSACHUSETTS.

WARPSTOP-MOTION FOR LOOMS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 640,154, dated. December 26, 1899.

Application filed June 2'7, 1899.

T0 at whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, WILLIAM E. ALLEN, of

Salem, county of Essex, Stateof Massachusetts,have invented an Improvement in Warp Stop-Motions for Looms, of which the following description, in connection with the accompanying drawings, is a specification, like letters and numerals on the drawings representing like parts.

This invention relates to warp-stop-motion mechanism for looms, wherein suitable stopping instrumentality is made operative to efiect the stoppage automatically of the loom upon the occurrence of an abnormal condition, such as failure or undue slackness of one or more warp-threads, a series of detectors controlled as to their position by the warp-threads being employed to control the actuation of the stopping instrumentality; and my present invention has for its object the production of means for preventing the subjection of a detector in operative position to any material strain when the stopping instrumentality is operated.

I have herein illustrated and described one practical embodiment of my invention, without, however, limiting the application of my invention to the particular construction and arrangement shown, for variations and modifications may be made therein without departing from the spirit and scope of myinvention, as will be manifest hereinafter.

Figure 1 is a longitudinal sectional view of a portion of a loom, with one embodiment of my invention applied thereto, taken on the line arm, Fig. 2. Fig. 2 is apartial rear elevation of the apparatus shown in Fig. 1, and Fig. 3 is an enlarged detail of a portion of the apparatus shown in Fig. 1.

The loom-frame A, harnesses H, lease-rods L, shipper-lever S, and the whip-bar WV may be of any usual construction, and I have herein shown the controlling-detectors for the stop-motion as located back of the lease-rods, said detectors being shown as thin flat strips d, preferably of strong sheet metal, each having a warp-receiving opening d and a longitudinal slot d a support or guide m being extended through the slots of the detectors and secured to stands M, attached to the loomi'rame. As the depth of the support m is less Serial No. 722,003. (No model.)

than the length of the slots,the detectors have a limited longitudinal movement relative thereto, and when the warp-threads are normally conditioned the detectors are held in elevated inoperative position, as shown in Fig. 1 and by full lines, Fig.3,while the occurrence of an abnormal condition in a Warp-thread, such as breakage or undue slackness, permits its detector to move into operative position. (Shown by dotted lines, Fig. 3.)

Heretofore it has been customary in apparatus of this character to provide a feeler which is normally vibrated and adapt-edto cooperate directly with and be arrested by a detector in operative position, such arrest of the feeler operating through suitable inter vening devices to actuate the stop-motion, and it will be manifest that the detector must resist the strain upon it necessary to arrest the feeler. Thus the detectors have been subjected to a strain whenever the stop-motion was operated, and while that strain has been compressive or tensile, according to construction, still the fact remained that the detector was required to perform too much Work, and in making it strong enough to so do certain delicacy of operation had to be sacrificed. I have, however, devised an apparatus wherein the normally-vibrating mem-v ber cooperates not with the detector but with other means, the detector when in operative position serving merely to control or govern the cooperation of the vibrating member with the means which change its normal action, so that the detectors are relieved from any material strain.

Referring to the drawings, the stands M are shown as provided with depending arms M, which form bearings for a rock-shaftf having upturned arms f secured thereto, the arms being so located as to be normally moved toward and from thelower ends of the detectors, as will be described. Below the detec-. tors a stop I) is mounted, shown as a fiat bar set on edge and attached to brackets ta on the stands M, the lower ends of the detectors being preferably notched, as at (V, to straddle the upper edge of the stop and guide the detector when in operative position.

The arms f at or near their free ends receive the journals .f of a light but strong plate f preferably of sheet metal, extending upwardly from the arms and toward the detectors, and fingers or hunters f are secured to the plate f at an acute angle thereto, as hereinshown, stop-shoulders 5 on the armsf engaging the fingers or bunters and maintaining them and the feeler member f normally in the position shown in Fig. 1 relatively to the rocker-arms f. It will be seen that when said arms move toward the stop I) the hunters will be belowit, as shown at f in dotted lines, Fig. 3, and the feeler member will be above the stop, but below normally-positioned detectors, as at f Fig. 3. When a detector assumes its operative position, however, as shown by dotted lines, Fig. 3, the feeler member f will on its rearward stroke engage the edge of the detector, and said member will be rocked or tipped on its journals f into the position shown at 20, Fig. 3, and the fingers or hunters f will be moved into position 30, dotted lines, Fig. 3, to engage the stop I) and arrest the movement of the arms f and the rock-shaft f The only strain brought upon the detector is that sufficient to tip the feeler member and bring the fingers f into operative position to engage the stop I), the latter and the fingers or hunters hearing all of the strain required to arrest the movement of the arms f and the connected parts. When the fingers or hunters are in operative position, they are shown as assuming a substantially horizontal position directly between the stop I) and the journals f, and the very slight pressure upon the detector due to engagement of the member is immaterial, the support 121 and the stop b holding the detector from displacement.

Any suitable mechanism may be employed to effect the normal movement of the rockshaft f X and its attached parts and to operate the stopping means for the apparatus, the convenient form herein shown being substantially that illustrated in United States Patent No. 622,182, dated March 28, 1899, and which will be briefly described.

An arm a on the rock-shaft f has pivotally connected to it a bent arm (6 provided with a hunter (1 and a toe to, the latter cooperating with an edge cam D, preferably on the cam shaft C of the loom, so that the hunter will be moved alternately in and out of the path of one or more tappets t of a cam T, fast on the cam-shaft. When the normal movement of the rock-shaft f is arrested, as has been described, the hunter a is held up in the path of the tappets, engagement therewith swinging the arm a to the rear. This arm is slotted at a to receive a stud 61 on a short lever (Z pivoted at its upper end at d to a link (i hooked around the cam-shaft d and jointed at its other end to an arm e of a rock-shaft e provided with a knock-offarm e for the shipper-lever. The lower end of the lever 61 and the arm 6 are connected by a rod 6 the joint a acting as the lever-fulcrum when the hunter a is acted upon by the tap- The rocker-arms, connected to move in uni-- son by the rock-shaft f may be termed a vibrator, and the feeler memberf and the hunters constitute means, controlled by a detector in operative position, to cause a change in the normal movement of the vibrator, and thereby effect the actuation of the stop-motion.

Having described my invention, what I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, 1s-

1. In a loom, a series of stop-motion-controlling detectors movable into operative position upon the occurrence of abnormal conditions of the warp-threads, a stop-motion for the loom, a normally-moving member, and means made operative by direct engagement of a part thereof with a detector in operative position to arrest the movement of said member and I'GllGWEJ the detector from strain, arrest of said member effecting the operation of the stop-motion.

2. In a loom, a series of stop-motion com trolling detectors movable into operative position upon the occurrence of abnormal conditions of the warp-threads, a stop-motion for the loom, a normally-moving member arrest of which effects the operation of the stop-mo tion, a fixed member, and means controlled by a detector in operative position to efiect the arrest of the moving member by the said fixed member.

3. In a loom, a series of stop-motion-controlling detectors movable into operative position upon the occurrence of abnormal c0nditions of the warp-threads, a stop-motion for the loom operated by or through arrest of the feeler, a feeler, a normally-vibrating support therefor, and arresting means for said support, made operative by engagement of the feeler with a detector in operative position, whereby the detector is relieved from strain due to arrest of the feeler support.

4. In a loom, a stop-motion instrumentality, a series of controlling-detectors therefor maintained inoperative by normally-condi tioned warp-threads, means including a normally-moving vibrator to effect the operation of said instrumentality upon the occurrence of an abnormal condition in a warp-thread, and a governing device for said means movable relatively to the vibrator and made operative by or through a detector in operative position.

5. In a loom, a series of stop-motion-controlling detectors operative by or through the abnormal condition of a warp-thread, a stopmotion for the loom, a normally-moving vi- ICC brator, and means including a feeler member movable relatively to the vibrator and made operative by a detector in operative position, to cause a change in the normal movement of said vibrator upon engagement of the feeler member with a detector in operative position and thereby effect the actuation of the stop-motion.

6. In a loom, a series of stop-motion-controlling detectors operative by or through the abnormal condition of a warp-thread, a stopmotion for the loom, a normally-moving vibrator, a fixed stop, and means carried by the vibrator to engage the stop and arrest the vibrator, said means being controlled and operated by a detector in operative position. 

